Grai Kotturinn

There are mornings in Reykjavik when the wind is horizontal, the sky is the colour of wet concrete, and the only sensible response is to descend a narrow staircase into a warm basement that smells of fresh pancakes and strong coffee. That basement is Grai Kotturinn -- The Grey Cat -- and it has been Reykjavik's favourite breakfast spot for as long as anyone cares to remember.

The Space

Grai Kotturinn is tiny. Genuinely tiny. A handful of tables are crammed into a low-ceilinged basement room that seats perhaps twenty people at a squeeze. The walls are covered with art, the tables are mismatched, and the whole place has the feel of eating breakfast in a particularly welcoming friend's kitchen. It is charming in a way that larger, more designed spaces cannot be.

The smallness is part of the appeal, but it also means that queues form, particularly on weekend mornings. There is no reservation system -- you simply arrive, wait if necessary, and eventually claim a table. The wait is always worth it.

The Food

The pancakes are legendary. Thick, fluffy, served with butter and jam or whatever seasonal accompaniment the kitchen has devised, they are the dish that built this cafe's reputation. But the full Icelandic breakfast is equally excellent: eggs cooked to order, homemade bread that has clearly been baked that morning, smoked fish, skyr, and strong coffee that wakes you up properly.

Everything tastes homemade because everything is homemade. There is no industrial shortcut anywhere in this kitchen. The bread has the density and flavour of something your grandmother might have baked, and the pastries -- when available -- disappear fast.

Practical Matters

The kitchen closes at 14:00 and the doors shut at 14:30, so this is exclusively a morning and early-afternoon destination. Get here by 09:00 on weekends if you want to avoid a wait. On weekdays, the rush is slightly less intense, but the cafe fills up quickly regardless.

Prices are gentle by Reykjavik standards. A full breakfast with coffee will set you back around ISK 2,500, which in this city counts as a genuine bargain. Cards are accepted.

The Verdict

Grai Kotturinn is not trying to reinvent breakfast. It is simply doing it very well, in a space that feels genuine, with ingredients that taste like someone cares. In a city increasingly full of Instagram-ready brunch spots, this unassuming basement remains the real thing. Go early, eat slowly, and start your Reykjavik day the way the locals do.